Relentless by Cheryl Douglas Page B

tipped her head back, looking him in the icy-blue depths of his eyes. Lord, the man had incredible eyes. “Please?”
    He framed her face in his hands, reaching down to brush a brief kiss across her lips. “Just don’t be too long, sugar.”
    “I won’t.” She tried to conceal his effect on her with Ty and Jake looking on, but she was sure it was as obvious to them as it was to the man himself; she turned to putty in his skillful hands.
    Watching him walk away, she guessed she’d allowed her gaze to linger on his fine backside a little too long because Ty chuckled, grasping her shoulder.
    “I’m going to head outside too. I need to call Avery.”
    “Sorry about your appointment time, Ty,” Jake said. “I know you’re a busy man.”
    “This is my fault,” Nikki said, turning to face the two men. “If you can hang tight for a few more minutes, you can take my time, since I obviously won’t be using it.”
    “Sure, no problem,” Ty said, extracting his phone from the pocket of his jeans. “I wasn’t having a very productive day in the studio anyhow. I could use some time to clear my head.”
    She waited until Ty made his way out of the room before turning her attention to Jake.
    They had been friends for a long time, though she knew he wished for more. It was time for them to have the conversation she’d been putting off for too long. “I’m sorry J.T. came here, getting in your face like that.”
    “He cares about you, a lot.”
    She tried to ignore the buzz his words evoked. She might not want a relationship with J.T. McCall, but she had been in lust with the man for years. She had the right to bask in the excitement for a minute, now that the feeling was finally mutual. “It’s not going to go anywhere, Jake. It can’t. I have my career to think about, and J.T. is obviously not a man who’s used to sharing his woman with anything or anyone.”
    He observed her carefully before asking, “If you were ready for a relationship, would he be the one?”
    She hated the thought of hurting Jake, but she knew prolonging the inevitable would only hurt him more in the end. “I don’t know, maybe.” She moved in closer. “You know I think you’re a great guy…”
    “Just not the guy for you, right?” He raised a hand, taking a step back. “It’s okay. I get it now.”
    She frowned, sensing his irritation. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
    “After meeting him, it’s pretty obvious. He and I are nothing alike.” He smiled, brushing a hand across her cheek. “I thought you wanted a nice guy who would treat you right. I wanted to be that guy for you.”
    “J.T. is…”
    “The man you want,” he said softly, dropping his hand to his side. “I’ve suspected that for a while. But seeing you together just now, it was painfully obvious.”
    She didn’t know what to say, how to bridge the burgeoning gap between them. Jake was her friend, first and foremost. She didn’t want to lose that. “Maybe we just need to take a break for a while. When I get back from the tour, I’ll call you. We’ll get together…”
    He pressed his fingertip against her lips, silencing her. “There’s no room for me in your life now.”
    “What are you talking about? Why would you say that?” It wasn’t the thought of losing him as her lover that rattled her. He was her confidante, her champion… She began to realize how selfish she had been. While she had been thinking of him as a friend, who sometimes satisfied her urge for an intimate touch, he thought of them as much more. She had to let him go, to find the kind of relationship he deserved. That was never going to happen as long as she was in his life, demanding her share of his time and attention.
    She brushed a tear away before pressing a kiss to his lips. “I’m going to miss you so much.”
    “I know, sweetheart. I’m going to miss you too, but I think we both knew this day was going to come sooner or later.”
    She nodded, clearing her throat.